vnto their petition is this Either it must be said that her highnes would not haue the Lord honored with our saluation that hue in hir daies and that she enuieth vs that good nay enuieth herself yea reiecteth the infinite reward in the life to come and assurance of safety with diuerse other benefits in this life freely offered vnto her for adding vs vnto the kingdome of his son which assertion I know they will detest and gainesay or that shee greatly longing for the honour of God and our vnspeakable good desirous of the crowne that shal bee giuen hir in the life to come will be most carefull incontinently whatsoeuer may ensue to plant the word in Wales This later is to be embraced affirmed Neither can it be said that she wil take leisure herein for that were plainly to say her Maiesty waied not the honour of Iesus Christ because many a thousand of vs should die before he were known to be a sauiour of distressed soules Shee hath otherwise learned Christ and therefore knoweth that the Lorde must not staie mans leasure when hee woulde haue anie thing perfourmed towards his seruice If one wil not do it he can finde another whom he wil honor â—â—â—h the deed Shee hath learned that it is to wâ—â—ken the Lordes omnipotencie and to teach him wisedome and discretion to goe no farther in a matter required by him than mans reasons seeth good likelie to come thereof She assureth hir selfe the Lord is discreet wise inough in commanding and therefore will doe hâ—â— will though hir kingdome should be endaungâ—red For he sufficiently recompenseth the losse that befalleth to anie while the execution of his will is attended vppon This course she tooke at hir first coronation This course I doubt not she wil take at this Parlament euen this I saie for who knoweth whether the Lord Iesus meaneth to keepe his before we haue a second proclaimed Will you therefore good gentlemen I speake vnto you my fathers my brethren my kindred and what name of loue else can be inuented my deare countrimen be mute where there is no question you shal be hard vnles the fault be in you Indeed it concerneth vs poor inhabitants of Wales verie nearly to be hard as wel in respect of our present misery as of the wonderfull calamity that is to fall vppon vs. Our case now is to bee especiallie pittied in respect of the inner man For howe many souls doe daily starue and perish among vs for want of knowledge And how many are like still to tread the same path It grieueth me at the hart to consider how hel is enlarged to receaue vs. And here the Lord knoweth and our soueraigne with this most honourable assembly shal know that I doe not complaine withour cause For our estate is such that we haue not one in some score of our parishes that hath a sauing knowledge Thousands there be of our people that know Iesus Christ to be neither God nor man king priest nor prophet ô desolate and forlorne conditiom yea almost that neuer heard of him If anie by the great goodnesse of God be called this came to passe not by the diligeÌ„ce of their pastours which are either dumme or greedy dogs that delight in sleeping as saith the Propheâ— a few honest meÌ„ excepted but either extraordinarily through reading or by meanes of their reâ—â—â—t and abode in some corner of the Church of â—ngland where the gospel is preached And lâ—â—g â—ay it be preached there to the glory of Gâ—d the felicity of our soueraign and the eueâ—â—asting good of that whole nobility and people â—hose kindnes towards strangers the Lord wilâ—â—ot forget And our Godremember Queen Elizabeth herein and wipe not out hir kindnes shewed toward thy people shew mercy vnto hir iâ— that daie good Lorde and forget hir not in this life also seing by means of fostering thy Gospell in hir land some of vs a people not regarded haue known the remissioÌ„ of our sinnes euen of our great sinnes Let this neuer be forgotten good Lord. I am caried I knowe not whither from my purposed intent These latter sort are some few gentlemen or such like The rest of our people are either such as neuer think of anie religion true or false plainly meere Atheists or stark blinded with superstition The later are of 2 sorts The first crue is of obstinate idolaters that would fain be again in execrable Rome so hold for good diuinity whatsoeuer hath bin harched in that sacrilegious nest But these may doe what they wil with vs for nether ciuil magistrat nor Bishop wil controul them They may be euen of the Parliament house least that congregation should be without some AchaÌ„ that might giue the Lord iust occasion to execrate his whole hoast Hence flow our swarmes of south saiers and enchanters such as will not stick openly to professe that they walke on Tuesdaies and Thursdaies at nights with the fairies of whom they brag themselues to haue their knowlege These sonnes of Belial who shuld die the death Leuit. 20.6 haue stroken such an astonishing reuerence of the fairies into the harts of our silly people that they dare not name theÌ„ without honor We cal them bendith û mamme that is such as haue deserued their mothers blessing Now our people wil neuer vtter bendith û mamme but they wil saie bendith û mamme û dhûn that is their mothers blessing which they account the greatest felicity that any creature can be capeable of light vpon them as though they were not to be named without reuerence Hence proceed open defending of Purgatory the Real presence praying vnto images c. with other infinit monsters The other sort is of good simple soules that would full gladly learne the way vnto saluation and spend their hart blood for the safety of their godly Prince in whoÌ„ they do claim more interest then the rest of hir subiects whosoeuer And this is almost the only happines they haue These poore soules because the Idol pastor can teach them nothing entering more deeply with themselues into the consideration of things find by the small light of religion we enioy through the meanes of hir Maiesty by the instinct of nature that there is a diuine essence who must be carefully and religiously serued and praied vnto for al blessinges that would be obtained Which things they see vnperfourmed publikely therefore priuatly they assay what they can doe But wofull estate they being not taught out of the worde of God what he is that must be serued how he requireth this to be doone inuent vnto themselues both their God and the maner of his seruice concerning saluation they either think that the Lorde is bound to saue all men because they are his creatures or that al shal be saued at the later day at the intreaty of the virgin Mary who shal desire her sonne after iudgement giuen to saue as many of the damned as may bee
A TREATISE CONTAINING THE AEQVITY OF AN HVMBLE SVPPLICATION WHICH IS TO BE EXHIBITED VNTO HIR GRACIOVS MAIESTY AND this high Court of Parliament in the behalfe of the Countrey of Wales that some order may be taken for the preaching of the Gospell among those people Wherein also is set downe as much of the estate of our people as without offence could be made known to the end that our case if it please God may be pitied by them who are not of this assembly and so they also may bee driuen to labour on our behalfe AT OXFORD Printed by IOSEPH BARNES and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers head 1587. TO AL THAT MOVRN IN SION VNTIL THEY SEE Ierusalem in perfect beuty namely to my Fathers Brethren of the Church of England grace mercy and loue in the Lord Iesus bee multiplied IT hath beene the iust complaint beloued in the Lord of the godlie in all ages that Gods eternall and blessed verity vnto whom the very Heauens themselues shoulde stoupe and giue obesiance hath bin of that smal reckoning and account in the eies of the most part of great men as they valued it to be but a meere losse of time to yeeld anie attendaunce thereupon Hence it commeth to passe that the truth being at any time to be countenanced none very often are found in the traine thereof but the most contemptible and refuse of men And because these also being guilty vnto themselues of great infirmities and foule sinnes manie times and not ignorant that affliction is the sequele of earnest and sincere profession doe pull their neckes from the yoke and their shoulders from the burden the Lorde is constrained verie seuerely to deale with them before they can be gotten to go on his message Whereupon also followeth their endeuours in Gods owne cause not to haue the euents which they expect Example hereof Ionas may be one for all And which is farre more lamentable in as much as the drousie and carelesse security the colde and frossen affections of the godly themselues in most waightie affaires is neuer wanting their careful diligence and earnest zeale ioined with hartie and vehement praiers alwaies desired the Lord suffereth his owne cause to contract some spot from their sinful hands These considerations beloued but specially the later kept me back a great while from this action which I haue now by the goodnes of God brought to this passe you see It would be a greeuous wound vnto me all my life long if the dignitie of a cause worthy to haue the shoulders of al the princes vnder the coape of heauen for it footstoole should be anie whit diminished by my foule hands which notwithstanding I protest to haue been washed as fair as their stains would permit But I am not a little comforted two maner of waies First that the Lord knoweth he thrust me almost against my wil hereunto And for asmuch as I see the honour of Iesus Christ in whose countenance God the father hath louingly wincked at my sinnes and whose is al that I haue standeth vpon the progresse of the woorde preached among vs my silence though to the daunger of my life shal not be tray his honour Is not he a God Will he not be religiously worshipped Wil he not haue this religion framed according vnto his owne mind Hath hee not regard whether his true seruice be yeelded him or no if he haue woe be vnto that conscience that knoweth this and keepeth it secret or is slacke in the promoting hereof Seing it pleased him who also separated me from my mothers womb to stur me vp hereunto I doubt not but hee wil giue that successe of my labours that may be most to his glory Surely by his assistaunce I neither can nor will be slacke The dignity of the cause I hope wil be regarded if not importance must take no deniall in the matter of our God My second comfort is that what effect soeuer shal ensue my paines I seek not my owne but theirs whom it concerneth namely my parents and brethren according to the flesh Whose state is so miserable at this daie that I think it were verie great vndiscreetnes for me to spare anie speech that were likely to preuaile Naie I would to God my life coulde winne them the preaching of the Gospel Our sicknes is at the hart it must not be dallied with either present remedy or vndoubted perdition And so will they iudge who viewe our estate offered vnto her Maiesty and the Parliament Which was not published onely least posterities should knowe such dishonour of God either at al to haue beene or in 28. yeares not redressed vnder Queen Elizabeth our souerain As for the aduersaries who vnderstand our estate too wel and reioice at our silence I regard them not at al for what haue we amisse at this day which flowed not out of the midst of their inheritance cursed Rome that bottomles pit fornace of idolatry I haue only therein touched our calamity not touched a great part thereof To come vnto you beloued of the church of englād I know our cause shal come through many of your hands I do with teares beseech that it maie haue al the lawful fauor you find of your harts to affourd vnto Christ in his poor members It may stand in some one to dash the whole Therefore in the name of God I require al of you that you hinder not his honour the saluation of perishing souls the good to the common wealth hereby intēded If you do otherwise I praie God so many souls as perish in miserable Wales for want of preaching be not required at your hands in the daie of iudgement But beloued I promise al good things on your parts and craue not only praiers vnto the Lord for the speedy erecting of our Ierusalem but all other helpes of speech and countenaunce of motioning the matter vnto her Maiesty the Parliamēt shewing the danger of denying the great profit and necessitie of granting our petition It is your dutie which cannot bee shaken off as it appeareth by the example of Ebed-melech Ierem. 38.9 Ieremie 38.9 The like act done by the Princes and Elders of the Lande Ieremie 26.16 17. When the Princes hard Baruch read in their eares the wordes of the booke containing al the curses Iehouah had determined to bring vpon Israel and Iuda c. it is recorded by the holy Ghost that they were affraid both one and other and said vnto Baruch we wil certifie the king of these woords and did so Wherein they perfourmed nothing but that which euery one of you before the Lord is bound to doe Gods people requireth this at your handes The state of the common wealth and her Maiesties whom the Lord in mercie deliuer from all forraigne and domestical treasons crie vnto euerie one of you that can giue anie counsel Iliad 3. A counsellor must not sleepe all
reward his vnconceiueable kindnesse in such sort as to suffer any that you can hinder to be sworne seruants of his professed enimies Sworn seruants I say for whosoeuer serueth not the Lorde Christ in e Rom. 6.16 7.5 2. Pet. 2.20 newnesse of life and holinesse of conuersation hath taken the oth of a souldier to serue sinne vnder Sathans banner Why should the sonne of God be bereaued of the title that he hath in his people conueiance thereof made vnto a damnable crature Consider I pray you the weight of the cause in this one point it is concerning no lesse matter thā a kingodme yea the kingdome of the God of al kings Iesus Christ the contention is betweene the most glorious in heauen earth and his own slaue where the indignity of the vsurper ought to moue you We are wearie of the heauy bonuie bondage of the one and desire the easie yoke of the other In the absence as it were of our Lord and king wee haue none to runne vnto for helpe but you whom he hath placed aboue vs. Pitie our condition naie rather let it bee seene that you reioice to haue such oportunitie to enlarge and make conspicuous the glorie of your redeemer that it may bee a witnesse vnto your soules whensoeuer you depart this life that indeede you haue quited your selues like men in the places whereunto he hath enioined you by defacing the kingdome of Sathan You are nowe to declare vnto which of the two you would haue vs subiectes who shal be king Sathan or the Lord Christ and therfore whether of the two can preuaile more with you Not that the diuel is able or dareth withstand his maker or that the Lord needeth the helpe of mā to ouerthrow his forces as not being of power to rule vnlesse man set the crowne vpon his head but because hee hath taken this course in the gouernment of his Church here vpon earth that vnlesse the Magistrate doe vphold his honour against Sathan it will fall to the ground for ought men can see and hee hauing commaunded men of authority to be zealous in his cause wil reward them according vnto their loue towardes him in this point For hereby hee doth trie their good wils in that he declareth his honour to be vsually measured in the hart of the people according vnto the proportion of the magistrates loue towards him reseruing alwaies vnto him neuerthelesse the power to beget his loue in the subiectes whose prince may be an Idolater and to bridle the furie of his enemies when hee will without the assistance of man and to reedifie his Church though al the kings vnder heauen gainesaie the same But this not proceeding frō them wil be to their greater condemnation because they chose rather to haue their people in the slauery of Sathan than in the liberty of Christ For one of them will yea must needes beare rule in the hearts of all men either the Lord by his spirit conueyed vnto them through the ministery of his word or the old serpent by his diuelish illusions That both cannot rule togither a Mat. 12.25.29 it is apparant because they are so contrarie the one to the other the subiectes of both kingdomes disagree the lawes be diuerse If you chuse the sonne of God and place him in his throne among vs by the preaching of his Gospell for otherwise you cannot be said to make choise of him then assure your selues that the Lord will b 1. Sam. 2.30 honour you because you honour him and not forget the vpholding of his kingdome by you especially in such an age as wherein most of the estates in the earth haue bereaued him of his right and giuen their crowns vnto the beast Then happy be your names and memories and the memories of your posterities for euer And happy be the daies that euer we were borne to be gouerned by such a godly Prince and godly counsellers But if you make worse than Claucus his chaunge and as much as in you lieth robbe Christ Iesus of his kingly dignity what are you to looke for at his handes but the cruel destruction that is prepared for those who will not suffer the sonne of God to rule ouer them or theirs Consider and consider againe that they deny Iesus Christ a kingdome ouer theirs and consequently prefer Sathan before him which deny the ministery of the Gospell vnto the people vnder their gouernment The reason of which assertion appeareth not onely by some places of Scripture before quoted but also in that the woorde preached is called the a Matt 13.19 Luke 8.11 woord of the kingdome by our Sauiour himselfe and the glad tidings of the Gospell called the b Luke 8.4 Matth. 3.1 kingdome of heauen By the parable of the vineyard which is said to be the inheritance of the sonne of God Matth. 21.38 and whereof he accounteth himselfe robbed when he hath not fruit yeelded vnto him Matt. 21.38 which only is done where the Gospell florisheth In that the Ghospell is called the Ghospell of the c Mat. 24 14. kingdom Wherein politik Gamaliel also d Act. 5.39 gessed aright that the High-priests and Sadduces should be found to do nothing lesse than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is fight against God if they withstoode the course of the Gospel To be short e verse 31. Peter in the very same chapter a little before maketh it a part of Christs prerogatiue roial to work repentance in the hart of man and assurance of remission of sins which no Christian wil saie to be otherwise effected than by preaching In so much as they must needes be conuinced to eneruate and weaken the same soueraignety of the Lord of life who any way refuse to haue them for whose wealth they are to prouide good lawes instructed by the Gospel If this conclusion be true as in very deed it is most true oh how ought you of this honourable assemblie to labour for the erecting of the ministery of the word in Wales seeing they that wil be slack in the same detract from the honour they owe vnto Iesus Christ and plainly shewe how little they care whether his kingdome sincketh or swimmeth As for these that withstand this I dare boldly affirme them to conspire with Sathan about the inuading of Christs kingdome and most contumeliously to tread his crowne vnder foote Where by the waie they are intreated with al reuerence to looke better vnto their dealinges who vnder the name of conformity and obedience stay the course of the ministery in any place desired to acknowledge this vnity to bee nothing else but a consent with Satan to wrest the scepter out of Christ his hand and vndermine his chaire of estate if they haue done heretofore foolishly let them now following the counsel of the wiseman lay their hands on their mouthes and take heede least by defending former practises they ad drunckennes vnto thirst It may be
the Lorde Iesus who had it powred vppon him without measure seeing wee that haue but a dramme thereof and that in a body of sinne are not without some reioicing effects by the power of Gods mightie spirite Herein and in such actions the power of God to a beleeuing heart sheweth it selfe to be ten thowsand times greater than in creating a thousand worlds Can the Parliament of England be desirous to glorify their God and not decree that this power of his be manifested vnto vs by deliuering euery of vs out of the tyranny of that mighty potentate who is euen the God of this world Our sauior Christ euen in respect of his manhood is so glorified of his father that man cannot augment the same yet the Apostle is plain that his honor consisteth in no other point than that euerie tongue should confesse a Phil. 2.11 him to be the Lord to the glory of God the father And least carnall men should thinke the Lord smally to esteem the glory hee gaineth by these that are called vnto the knowledge of his trueth the regard he hath hereunto is two maner of waies shewed First in that hee which was the substance and essence of the Lords owne glorious Maiesty b Phil. 2.6 equall with God c Ier. 2.3 I saie 44.26 1 Iohn 1. Rom 9.5 God himselfe made himselfe of no reputation taking vpon him the forme of a seruaunt became vile bale as we read Esai the 52 14.15.3 Phil. 2.7.8 onely to the end hee might reserue from hell some of the lost sonnes of Adam by whose saluation he should be glorified Secondly for asmuch as the chiefe end of his comming to iudgement 2 Thess 1.9 in that great and glorious daie wherin the secrets of all hearts shal appeare is to bee made glorious in his Saintes and marueilous in them that beleeue It is out of controuersie that on this daie the Lord will make the maiestie of his sonne Christ so glorious and of such rare excellencie as the verie Aungels themselues shall wonder and be astonied thereat and yet there be none others set downe in whom he shal be glorified but only those that beleeue Shal we say then the training vp of such is of smal acceptaunce in his sight God forbid Shall we think that their estate wil be any thing tolerable who in this life though they doe not further the Gospel yet will not hinder the same No truly For here be onely two estates of men spoken of either those in whom Christ Iesus shall bee glorified in euery of whose harts the Lord hath so wrought by his spirit that they desire nothing more than that he maie rule the soules of men by his woord or the other whose portion shall bee woe of soule And who are they only turks infidels papists traitors adulterers theeues murderers and such like workers of iniquity These I graunt indeed but not these alone For the Apostle giueth no such mark vnto al but he comprehendeth both the one and the other in this that they obey not the Gospell Be a man therefore accounted neuer so ciuilly honest talk he neuer so well of the Church and the dignity of the Gospel be he in shewe neuer so good a subiect vnto his prince for the diuell is not so vnwise as he wil haue al his limmes manifest breakers of the commandements but he will vse some visured oppugners of Gods glorie yet if in any sort you can perceaue that he vseth any other behauiour towardes Gods trueth than he ought to shew there whereunto greatest obedience and duety is to be yeelded take him by and by for one whom Paul meaneth Because he obeieth not but vndutifully handleth the gospel Slips I grant the children of God may haue and that very foul ones but few of them so fal as they must needs haue that to accompany them whervnto the honour of God is tied We may see then what reckoning our sauiour Christ maketh of the fruit he reapeth by the ministers labour And he wil maintaine his honour in this point by the vtter ruine of al the clippers thereof and be smally beholding as wee heare in heauen vnto them that negligently labor for the same in earth Here mark I beseech you that for as much as Sathan is permitted among vs not only to lift vp his heel against his Lord but euen to out-face him in his owne inheritance the Lord threatned very lately and doth euerie day to measure our punishment by the same line Howe likely was it had not he in mercy choked with their owne raiging spirits these vnsatiable blood-suckers Babington and his adherentes that we should haue had in this kingdome the hand of the vile against the honorable the base against the noble Isaie 3.4 the indigne against the woorthiest of the land Yea and the Lords anointed the very a Lamen 4 20 breath of our nostrils she vnder whose shadow we haue beene thus long preserued from heathen popish tortors was like to fall into their hands The Lord graunt you of this honorable assembly wise harts before it be to late to examine aright the cause of these vngodly attempts to preuent the issues of them Which shall neuer be done as long as the Parliament wil permitte Non-residences impropriate liuinges swarmes of vngodlie ministers the insolent and tyrannicall proceedinges of some ioined with pomp too too vnreasonable to keep out a learned and godlie ministerie by whose means the Lord Iesus would recouer his owne againe Persuade your selues that the Lord maie iustlie giue our possessions to strangers because an enemie is tolerated in this land quietly to enioie the right of Iesus Christ and by suffering such vngodlie practises countenanced in the action If the Spaniard French or anie the forces of Rhomish Caine haue their desire vpon vs as I hope in God they neuer shall how shall pluralities of impropriations other Church-liuings c. defend vs ours from their furie To shut vp this point all the former thinges confidered is not our petition most reasonable in regard of Gods honour Wel in respect of her Maiestie it hath manie reasons where-vpon it maie be grounded Can we euer hope to haue the tidings of saluation proclaimed in Wales vnlesse this be perfourmed in hir daies And haue we a lease of hir life Would it pleased God we had Rather the door of our hope is euerie day threatned to be shut Now therefore the Lord warneth vs to take the opportunity while it is offered Now hee taketh heauen and earth to witnes that at this instant at this Parliament at this time of her Maiesties prosperous raigne hee laieth before vs life and death good and euil saluation and damnation and that for euer We shal neuer haue the time to choose againe for anie thing we knowe And howe effectuall for the preseruation of her highnes think you would be the praiers of so manie thousand of hir people euen of the
and beyond all his might to make knowen the case of such a people vnto those who both can and also would find a remedy therunto For mine owne part because I see the spirituall miserie wherein wee nowe liue in the Country of WALES for want of the preaching of the Gospel and the great plagues that are like vndoubtedly to fall vpon vs for the same I cannot but be so asfected toward these our calamities as in respect of the Lords honor the desire of the saluation of my breethren my loyall obedience vnto her Maiesty and the discharge of my own conscience I doe alwaies from the bottome of mine heart wish and pray for the redresse heereof nowe by writing with all humility and submission in the feare of God lay open our estate first vnto the consideration of your excellent Maiesty my dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth vnto whom only of all the potentates of the earth I owe all obedience and seruice in the Lord Iesus and next vnto the viewe of your high court of Parliament desiring you vpon my knees in the name of the great God the creator and preseruer of heauen and earth whose honor is now in hand that our petitiō may be so throughly waied as our necessity requireth The summe whereof is that it would please your Maiesty this honorable assembly in a zealous and a godly compassion to regard the lamentable and wofull estate of vs your poore subiects breethren which liue at this day altogither without the knowledge of a Isai 43.11 ◠a sauing God because we haue not b 2. Chro. 15.2 teaching Ministers among vs that some order may be taken by your Maiesty and the estate whereby wee may bee freed from that destroieng grosse darckenesse of ignorance wherein we nowe are bewrapped to the woe of our soules for euer And so by our true conuersion vnto the Lorde we may auoid euerlasting death and preuent the fiercenesse of the wrath indignation which we see iustly to hang ouer vs in this life The remedy of this our grieuous case is only had and no other way by speedie d Luk. 10.2 Matth 9.8 prouiding vnto vs such pastors as may feede vs with the food of life the pure worde of God and bring vs home vnto the only a 1. Pet. 5.4 Heb. 13.20 Luk. 22.25 Mark 10. Lord of pastors sheepeheards the Lord Iesus This is the summe of al my dread soueraigne that I your base vassall haue emboldened my selfe to offer vnto you and this your high court of Parliament wherein I protest that in respect of my weakenesse al maner of waies the basenesse of my condition I intreated the Lorde to send vnto you by the hand of him whom b Exod. 4.13 hee should sende that is by one endued with such giftes and authority also as whereby the suite might haue purchased some countenance and so be found more auaileable and plausible But considering that this mine endeuor might be a means to stirre vp some such and that the Lorde is the Lord of countenance credit and fauour therefore can adde vnto his own cause the good liking of men either more or lesse as seemeth best vnto him which only guideth the harts of the children of men And that he is then fullie seen for his own glories c Rom. 4.2 Ezek. 36.32 sake to bring the worke to passe that tendeth to the saluation of any when hee vseth most abiect and vnfit tooles I doe not doubt if it be his good pleasure but that this supplication though put vp by a sinfull weake hand shal haue all the intertainment that the message of the liuing God desireth to haue And although our estate beeing duly waied doth with most patheticall pierceing cries that may moue againe the very flinty rockes make intreaty for it selfe and declare the vnanswerable necessity either of hauing our petitions graunted or of the torments of our soules in hel fire for euer and our fatal ruine in this life yet I thought it most needefull in this briefe treatise to set downe some of the reasons whereupon our petition is grounded that by the view of them it may appeare how daungerous a thing it is in the sight of God and man to deny our suite And here verilie the cause may be seene at the first sight to be inuironed with a two-fould wall as it were of most iust and apparant equity First in respect of the honour of God whereat especially it aimeth Secondly in regard of man whom it doth not a litle concerne Whether therefore you do consider the Lord himselfe whom we disdain and contemn for want of better instruction out of his woord by our vngodlie liues or her gracious Maiestie and this honourable assembly who are bound before the Lorde with an vncancelable band to see the eternall verity of the Gospell of Iesus Christ taught vnto obeied of al the inhabitants within the precincts of her Maiesties dominions or my deere brethren and countri-men whose ioiful and happy felicity is this way sought for you shall find the supplication to be full of dutifull endeuors towardes the maintenance of Gods glory the safe estate of this kingdome our soueraign whom the Lord long preserue ouer vs hurting none full of equity on all parts Wee desire to haue the knowledge of our God and the Lawes of his kingdome whose subiectes in name wee professe our selues and in deede ought to bee made knowne and taught vnto vs. We desire that the tyranny of Sathan who a 2 Cor. 4.4 Ephes 6.2 2.23 exerciseth a regencie in the hearts of all them amongst whom Gods trueth hath not beene taught may be ouerthrown b Rom. 1.16 Heb. 4.12 Ier. 23.29 by the powerfull arme of God the worde preached c Iam. 1.21 who can saue our soules Now therefore to you right honorable worshipful and reuerend of this Parliament with al humility be it spoker in the audience of our God in the presence of Iesus Christ and in the witnesse of euery child of God who shall read this litle treatise we most earnestly and vehemently as in the cause of Iesus Christ and in the cause of our soules entreate and beseech you cry and cal vpon you to do your endeuors that Sathan may no longer keep vs in bondage which ought to be imploied in the seruice of our God and that the Lorde Iesus his throne may be established in our hartes d 1. Cor. 6.19 3.16 as it ought to be in those which are his members What interest hath sathan in vs that wee should be permitted to be at his beck and leaue vndoone the duty we owe vnto our most beneficial louing God euen by the law of creation Why should he preuaile more with you which continually seeketh your destruction ours than Iesus Christ whose loue towardes vs was sealed with the losse of his life euen then when we were his enimies Wil you
Kin. 16.29 went through the people from Bersheba to mount Ephraim and brought them againe vnto Iehouah the God of their fathers so litle a thing was it in his eies to haue once verie notablie reformed his people vnlesse he did the same as often as need required Religious Ioshia 2. Chro. 33.29 caried the like heart with him The good king rent his clothes his heart melted within him with weeping and wringing of handes he humbled himselfe before his God and immediatly set vpon the reformation of euery thing amisse as soone as he perceiued the Lord to be dishonored by neglecting the performance of his will in any point But what needed he to haue taken all these paines He had a promise all should go well in his daies and after him his people were sure to smart for their former sinnes He had doone well for his part fals-religion was expelled in the 1. yeare of his raigne this being the 18. Iudah Ierusalem were purged from their high places time would not serue to establish euery thing according vnto the lawe of Moses the people were simple not capeable of the gouernment required by the worde of God his nobility by reason of their long continuance in Idolatry not so well perswaded of the true religion he sought to establish It was very new vnto them their weakenes were to be born-withal Yea they must haue the liberty of their consciences Perhaps they who should haue beene most forward as the high priest and others were found very great enimies vnto all good proceedings It may bee they looked that all should bee committed vnto their handes as the pope hath done in times past For what had a ciuil magistrate to doe with setting in order things belonging vnto religion These and many other hinderances hee had I grant 2. Chro. 34.3 But looke when the zeal of the Lords house hath eaten vp any how easily they swallow all occasions that might hinder the true worship of God in any that belongeth vnto them And therfore that very yeare euen then when he was farther instructed by examining the booke of the Lawe of Moses concerning his duty he gathered the people from the greatest vers 30 31 32 to the smallest priest and Leuite read the woord of the couenant in their eares and made a couenant before Iehouah to keepe his commaundements his statutes and his testimonies with all his heart and with all his soule He cause al that were found in Ierusalem and Beniamin to stand vnto it So farre was hee from bearing with any in their Idolatrous perswasions that could not for consciences sake forsooth but turne backe from Iehouah the God of their fathers that as it is recorded of him hee a verse 33. compelled all that were found in Israel to agree vnto the couenant to serue Iehouah their God which they did al his life In which actiō religion being now receiued by publicke consent hee did not only according to the commandement a Deut. 13.69 the example of his pre decessors the b Ius 22.21.19 whole cōgregation in the booke of Ioshua and godly king Asah c Chro. 15.13 who de creed that whosouer would not serue Iehouah should be stoned whether he were small or great but also that which the wonderfull and great woorkes of God wrested from e Dan. 3.29 Neubuchadnezzer and almost nature it selfe shewed vnto king Artashash f Ezra 7. a6 Gods honorbeing precious in the eies of this assembly as I hope it is wil driue them to follow these godly examples and to looke with the eies of an Egle into the estate of our Church in Wales yea compel vs by authority rather than faile to honour sanctifie the Lord by the knowledge of our saluation For then he is said to gaine a name and maiesty to himselfe when he is seene to forgiue sins not for mans desert but for his own g Isai 4.8.9.12 glory sake and he is then knowen to be the Lord when hee is h Ezek. 76.23 sanctified in his people For indeede none is able either to forgiue sinnes or to sanctify the prophane hart of man but the Lord himselfe Therefore the prerogatiue aboue all others giuen to out sauior christ in the reuelation is that when there was none found in heauen or earth or vnder the earth worthy to looke vpon the book sealed with seauen seals muchlesse able to open it he the lyon of the tribe of Iudah performed both But who knoweth this saue they Ephes 2.13 that are redeemed by his blood And his blood clēseth none but these i which heard the worde of trueth euen the gospel of saluation preached vnto them The way then to procure that the people of Wales maie cry with a loude voice Woorthie is the lambe to take the booke open the seales thereof Reuel 5.12 because he was killed and hath redeemed vs to God out of euery kindred and tongues people and nation is to bestow the worde preached vpon them And howe greatlie the calling of men vnto saluation augmenteth both the might and the exceeding riches of Gods strength shal be easily gathered if you doe but consider that the treasury the iewell house and wardrobe as I may say of Gods glorious in heritance in the Saints and the exceeding greatnes of his power towardes them that beleeue is no other way discerned but by the spirite of reuelation through the knowledge of god as the expresse woords of the Apostle do enforce Ephes 1.18.19 All which proceed from hearing the worde of truth verse 13 as he set down before The wordes which the Apostle vseth to expresse the meaning of the holy-ghost doth most euidentlie conuince that they who felt not this power in themselues count the Lord to be but a weakeling For although the contemplation of nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the mouing of the heauens and the creatures therein contained may afforde some glimse of the might that is in the creator yet this is not indeede so much as a shadowe of the other wherein the Lord is said to exercise the power of his own right hand As first in giuing the Lord Iesus a conquest ouer al the k Coloss 15 principalities and powers of his enimies making him to triumph ouer them and that l Heb. 2.10 18.4 5. 5.7 by weakenesse sufferings crosses calamities temptations yea and death it selfe then in raising him from death to giue him a name aboue all names and to make him the head of al. Secondly in vs his poore members sauing our helplesse and damned soules woorking mightily in our sinful stony hearts by the conuersion of vs vnto him giuing vs poore flesh and blood a conquest also ouer our owne fleshe and the rebellious motions thereof and which is more ouer the prince of the world himselfe Assuring our vnbeleeuing hartes of his loue towardes vs shewing how mightie his spirite was in